Behavior and Communication Changes That Happen with Dementia
More than 55 million people are living with dementia worldwide, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Dementia is a serious, life-long condition that affects a person’s behavior and communication, among other aspects of their physical and mental health. If you’re caring for someone with dementia, understanding the behavior and communication changes that happen with dementia is essential to maintaining a supportive relationship with your loved one.
What Is Dementia?
The WHO’s website goes on to explain how dementia is not a single condition. It’s a category of conditions that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and basic functions. Dementia is a progressive condition, meaning the symptoms intensify over time. Dementia is also a lifelong condition. Once someone receives a diagnosis, doctors can treat symptoms and delay progression in some cases, but there is no official cure for dementia yet.
There are many forms of dementia, and each has a unique set of signs, symptoms, and risk factors. However, a few common signs and symptoms of dementia include forgetting recent events, having trouble remembering the names of everyday objects or relatives, losing or misplacing items, confusion, getting lost in familiar places, and difficulty making decisions.
Dementia Behavioral Changes
Mood and behavioral changes are common among those with dementia. A few common shifts include:
- Acting worried, upset, or angry easily, often without clear signs of a trigger
- Depression and a disinterest in activities that once excited them
- Wandering from home and getting lost in familiar places
- Misunderstanding or misinterpreting situations
- Imagining things or remembering things that didn’t happen
- Physical altercations, such as hitting, pushing, or lashing out at others
Not all of these behavioral changes will happen to every person with dementia. Some of these behavioral changes may happen once or be more consistent, depending on the person and the form of dementia they have.
Dementia Communication Changes
It’s common for people with dementia to experience communication challenges as their condition progresses. A few communication changes you may see include:
- Trouble finding the right word to describe something
- Forgetting common words or names
- Trouble expressing feelings and emotions
- Repeating words, phrases, and stories
- Needing extra time to understand and answer questions
Various forms of dementia may also cause changes in a person’s ability to speak; some individuals become nonverbal with certain forms of dementia.
Managing Changes In A Loved One With Dementia
Behavior and communication challenges are bound to arise if your loved one has dementia, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to find ways to interact with them. Consider the following tips to maintain communication between you and your loved one with dementia.
Keep Things Simple
When talking to someone with dementia, keep things simple. Focus on using short sentences with simplistic words. Avoid too many metaphors or insinuations, and instead, be direct with your questions or comments. Also, be sure to allow your loved one enough time to answer. It may take them longer than usual to comprehend what you’re asking or saying and form a response.
Practice Compassion And Patience
Approaching situations with compassion, empathy, and patience is one of the best things you can do for your loved one with dementia. Compassion and empathy create a comfortable environment for others and help to generate confidence and trust, allowing the individual with dementia to feel more at ease.
Limit Distractions
When having conversations with a loved one with dementia, you want to consider your environment. Too much noise or commotion can make it difficult for them to focus on what you’re saying. Find a quiet place free of distractions, including the number of people involved in a conversation.
Dementia Care With Visiting Angels
Caring for a loved one with dementia is hard work, and it’s not something you have to do alone.
Visiting Angels is proud to provide seniors of Northeast Ohio with dementia care services that help clients live safely at home, even with dementia. Our dementia care services include a mix of companionship and personal care, helping clients with nonmedical tasks like housekeeping, medication reminders, personal grooming, mobility assistance, wandering prevention, and transportation.
Our care options are customizable to best meet each client's needs. You can learn more about our at-home dementia care services by contacting our Mentor office.